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Topic: WELCOME ! (Read 7936 times)

We have started this forum in response to requests from many of the folks who were at a member gathering in the Denver area last September.

It took a while to get it set up, because the folks in ACA's Missoula office had to wait until they acquired new software to manage their online forums. Nevertheless, we're finally up and running with the first-ever electronic exchange for Adventure Cycling members in a single state.

We'll be moderating this forum, and we look forward to meeting and cycling with many of you.

Frank,I am planning to bike across the country starting about June 1, 2010 using motels. Plan to use the Western Express through most of Nevada and then branch north using US 6, 191, & 40 to go to Longmont via Steamboat Springs & Trail Ridge. After a break in Longmont I plan to bike to Milwalkee and take the ferry across Lake Michigan. Looking for routing help, especially in Eastern Colorado. Also willing to take on additional riders.

We have started this forum in response to requests from many of the folks who were at a member gathering in the Denver area last September.

It took a while to get it set up, because the folks in ACA's Missoula office had to wait until they acquired new software to manage their online forums. Nevertheless, we're finally up and running with the first-ever electronic exchange for Adventure Cycling members in a single state.

We'll be moderating this forum, and we look forward to meeting and cycling with many of you.

From Longmont heading ENE, there are not a lot of great bicycling roads. If you don't mind riding on Interstates, you could ride east to Hudson (via Weld County Roads 6, 27 and 8 ), and then follow I-76 into Nebraska. Bycycles are allowed on this portion of I-76. One advantage to I-76 is regular access to services (which is not something you can say about a lot of other roads in Eastern Colorado).

If you're willing to deviate south a bit, you can ride on US36 (via Hudson, Prospect Valley and Bennett). US36 is a high-speed major highway, but it doesn't get that much traffic because most people heading east prefer I-70. US36 has a shoulder the whole way, but carry a lot of food and water because services are scarce (there's a reason a "town" named "Last Chance" is on this highway). You can stay on US36 all the across Kansas and Missouri if you want.

If you're willing to deviate farther south, you could follow the TransAm through Ordway and Eads. This would have the advantage of having the great ACA maps to follow. In fact, you could follow the TA all the way through Missouri before heading north.

A copy of the Colorado Bicycle Map can be acquired from the Colorado DOT, which would show you many other alternatives. This map tells you how much shoulder each road has, and whether or not bicycles are allowed. Be careful following roads you might find on Google Maps in eastern Colorado, as many of those roads are unpaved.

By the way, Longmont has some great bike paths. You also might want to pick up the ACA Great Parks South map #1 for help getting from Steamboat Springs to Longmont.

Tom, I've never ridden those roads, but my map says that US6 going NE from Brush is a "highway with shoulder < 4 feet". Between Attwood and Sterling, it has a shoulder >= 4 feet. US138 from Sterling to Nebraska is again a "highway with shoulder < 4 feet". US34 from Brush to the Nebraska border is about 50/50 of shoulder < 4 feet and shoulder >= 4 feet. Just an educated guess, but I'd think that US6 and US138, parallelling I-76 but about 3 miles away on the other side of the South Platte River, would be good riding, since most cars would vastly prefer I-76 and the traffic therefore theoretically should be light. I-76 would be far enough away that you'd never know it was there, but close enough to provide access to services. I've been on other roads that have been virtually obviated by I-76 and had a great time. Last summer I took CO52 between Hudson and Wiggins and it was virtually deserted (of cars, bicycles, buildings, cows and everything else--there's nothing along this road but some antelope).